Manchester United host Chelsea in a blockbuster opening weekend fixture

Manchester United's manager, Ole Gunnar Solsjaker will want to get off to a strong start after a poor finish last season (Getty Images)

Manchester United vs Chelsea Predictions, Tips and Free Bets

Frank Lampard will start life as Chelsea manager with a trip to Old Trafford to take on Ole Gunnar Solsjaker’s Manchester United. United and Chelsea are currently going through tricky transition periods and the season ahead looks uncertain for both of them.

Manchester United vs Chelsea details

Date

Sunday 11th August

Venue

Old Trafford

Competition

English Premier League

Time

16:30 (GMT +1)

Manchester United Form & Team News

Manchester United come into the new season lacking in optimism after a terrible end to their last campaign and an underwhelming transfer market. Ole Gunnar Solsjkaer has brought in young players like Daniel James and Aaron Wan-Bissaka in the hope of installing a new philosophy at the club, but it remains to be seen as to whether or not they can step up to United’s level just yet. Their most recent signing was Harry Maguire from Leicester City. The England centre-back could be the defender United have been crying after for seasons but at £80 million, he could also turn out to be an expensive flop. Solsjaker may have some selection issues on his hands, with Romelu Lukaku having not featured for the club during pre-season and unlikely to play, and Paul Pogba potentially being out with a back injury. United have remained unbeaten throughout pre-season, picking up notable victories over Leeds, Tottenham and Inter Milan, but fans will also remember their last competitive outing at Old Trafford well- a 2-0 defeat at the hands of already relegated Cardiff City.

Chelsea Form & Team News

Chelsea come into the new campaign with very little idea what to expect from the coming nine months. The club have undergone some radical changes since the end of last season. The most notable factor will be the managerial appointment of Frank Lampard. Lampard has never managed at this level before, having only managed for a season at Derby County last year. He will face a tough job at Stamford Bridge this year, with the club having lost star player Eden Hazard to Real Madrid, and also being under a transfer ban. The club have managed to key hold of the rest of their key players though and were allowed to make the signing of Mateo Kovacic permanent after a year-long loan. Lampard will have a good selection of players to choose from, with youngsters Callum Hudson Odio and Ruben Loftus Cheek being the only players in his squad with long term injuries. There are still concerns about N’Golo Kante after the midfielder spent the end of the last campaign sidelined, and the club are yet to clarify whether he will be fit or not for Sunday.

New Chelsea manager Frank Lampard takes charge for the first time in the Premier League (Getty Images)

Manchester United vs Chelsea Analysis- Opening day stalemate

The season ahead is going to be a very interesting one for Manchester United and Chelsea, and both teams will want to make a statement on the opening day of the season, especially against teams who are likely to be their rivals in the Champions League hunt.

Both teams have had good pre-seasons results-wise, with Chelsea, in particular, showing that they aren’t going to struggle to find the net this season.

Lampard and Solsjaker are both trying to change the mentality of their clubs on the pitch and we could see an incredibly open game between these two at the weekend.

United could squeeze it with home advantage, but Old Trafford has not been too kind to United in recent years, and a draw could be on the cards on Sunday.

Manchester United vs Chelsea Tips- A score draw at Old Trafford

Both United and Chelsea will be out to convince their fans on Saturday afternoon and Lampard, in particular, has played an attacking brand of football over pre-season that has made for some highly entertaining encounters.

The Blues netted 18 teams in 6 pre-season games and they will be looking to make sure that they can continue that form when they visit Old Trafford.

A lot of United’s performance will depend on how will Harry Maguire can fit into the United back four, but with no pre-season games under his belt for the club, things could be a bit shaky against such strong opposition.

A draw between the two sides is great value with Bet365 at 3.30, while United are favoured at 2.10 and Chelsea are out at 3.50. Of these odds, a draw seems to be the best value.

The over/under markets also offer some enticing odds, with Over 2.5 at 2.00 being great value with Bet365. Lampard has seen over 2.5 goals in all but one of his first six games as Chelsea manager, while United have failed to keep a clean sheet at Old Trafford in any of their last six home games.

Verdict

Manchester United and Chelsea have both demonstrated they are capable of playing exciting football throughout pre-season, expect to see over 2.5 goals on Saturday in what should be an entertaining fixture.

Given both teams current situations, a draw also looks like the most likely result, and offers great value.

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